Lately, I’ve had a few requests to blog about some of my favourite quick and easy lunches. This made me laugh at first because many of my lunches involve standing over a stove sampling the recipes I’m testing that day and then inhaling the cold food that’s left on the plate after a long photo shoot. That’s just how many days go around here, but I’ve been making more of an effort to take time out for lunch and make sure I’m eating a balanced, less rushed meal.
This kale salad is something I’ve been enjoying for lunch over the past few weeks. When I get on a certain lunch kick, I’m basically happy eating it every day until I get tired of it and move on. I figured it was time to share my little lunchtime obsession with you today. The beauty of a kale salad is that the leaves don’t wilt (like romaine, for example), making it something you can prepare ahead of time and pack for lunch. Plus, the longer it sits, the softer the leaves get. Win-win. I love to serve it with fruit and/or crackers and hummus.
Here is my no-brainer “recipe” for making a massaged kale salad.
1 tbsp oil (I love flax, hemp, or avocado oil for dressings) + 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice + 1 tsp pure maple syrup. Massage into the kale leaves. Let this “marinate” while you prep the vegetables.
While the kale is “marinating”, I get busy chopping up a storm! Whatever veggies I have in the crisper go into my salads. Right now, I’m loving celery, pomegranate, radish, red onion, and avocado. I also love to sprinkle on hemp seeds for extra protein.
Throw it all together and you have one of my favourite kale salads, ready in minutes!
Sharing is optional (and highly discouraged…bahah)
My Go-To Kale Salad
Yield
1-2 servings
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Ingredients
For the kale
- 4 cups (packed) torn kale leaves, stems removed
- 1 tbsp hemp, flax, or avocado oil (or use extra virgin olive oil in a pinch)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup, or to taste
- Herbamare (or sea salt) and cayenne pepper, to taste
For the vegetables
- 1 radish, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1/2 large avocado, chopped
- 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
- handful pomegranate seeds
- 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds
Directions
- Tear leaves off kale stems and discard stems. You can save the stems for juicing or blending if you wish. Break leaves into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly.
- Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle on the dressing ingredients (oil, lemon, maple syrup). With your hands, “massage” the dressing into the kale until all leaves are coated. Sprinkle on Herbamare (or sea salt) and a touch of cayenne pepper if desired.
- While the salad marinates, chop the vegetables. Mix into kale and serve, topped with hemp seeds if you desire.
I just LOVE marinated kale salads too! They’re a great way to use up veggies that are on the ‘edge’; that either use me or lose me state! I’ve been really loving the combo of dried cherries/avocado in my salads lately. I’m going to have to remember to throw in a handful of hemp seeds next time!!!
Love it. Kale was my favorite veg before people even knew what it was.
I wish I could say the same! haha. It took me a long time to love kale!
Organic Girl brand has a baby kale/greens mix that I go to for salads.
This is SO gorgeous Ange! Your photos are looking absolutely beautiful these days. I love massaged kale salads as well, and wish I was at home for lunch more often so I could make them more ‘fresh’ (as opposed to making them the night before and packaging them up). Yours sounds delicious!
Looks delicious! I’m going to try the “marinating”…nice.
I love massaged kale salads! I actually just did a demonstration for how to make one for one of my nutrition classes last week! :D
This looks amazing! I still have a ton of kale from my CSA — I should make it into a raw salad. The Boyfriend doesn’t care for them typically, but I think massaging / marinating would probably make a difference — thanks for the tip!
I need this in my life! I’ve started to become sick of salads lately and need to branch out. I just bought cranberries so I can make your cranberry orange salad dressing. LOVED that last year. :)
That would be really good on this salad too I bet :) I know all about salad ruts…I was in one for a long time and didnt even want to look at salads. heh.
It’s like you’re psychic – I’ve had a huge bunch of kale in my fridge for most of the last week! This salad was perfect. I used honeycrisp apples instead of radishes (ie, what I had in the fridge), and it was delish. Thinking about adding chickpeas for protein and heft…
Yes chickpeas work too (I did that last week with some leftovers!), beans, lentils…etc would all work. Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m very excited about this not having garlic & knowing it will still taste awesome. :D YAY! Just what I was looking for today!
This salad looks delicious. I love POM seeds! Can’t wait to try it out.
After having tried this I completely understand why it’s your “go-to” salad!!!
The photo of the salad is beautiful.
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
I am on Day 5 of a Juice Fast/Cleanse/Detox and looking for good meals to break the fast, looks like this could be it! Thank you!
Thanks for this! This is what I love so much about your blog, simple ideas for healthy eating, that you actually do! I love going back to your older posts when you would just talk about what you ate that day. It really informs and inspires me, I can’t tell you how often I think, “what would Angela eat?”
You are so sweet Ann! Maybe I should bring back more of those posts once and a while.
I just wanted to compliment you on having the most beautiful photography, recipes and website. I recently started a Julie/Julia project with Crazy Sexy Kitchen. I have quickly realized how hard photography is. You are amazing! Seriously you rock!
Hi Brooke, Thank you for the encouragement!!
Yum! I had planned to make your lemon tahini dressing for my kale salad last night and after seeing this post tried it out for a change. Definitely a winner. I love my lemon tahini dressing, but I eat it at least once a week so the switch up was welcome. I topped my kale off with chickpeas, red onion, avocado, peppers and cherry tomatoes.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! The tahini lemon dressing will always be my fav I think…
i have never tried “massaged” kale, but this sounds delicious. I always buy too much kale and it wilts before I can use it all!
Whew. I needed this recipe! So healthy!
Just made the salad and it was AWESOME!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
I always appreciate good recipes for kale as I’m not a huge fan of it raw. I like it blended into smoothies and I love kale chips, and I’ve had awesome kale salads at vegan restaurants, but when I try and make it myself it just tastes bitter and too rough. I can’t wait to try this one!